Exposing the Deadly Legacy of Nuclear Weapons Tests on U.S. Soil

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 22, 2024
Contact: Virginia Martino
702-591-9183
[email protected]

LAS VEGAS, NV – TheInvisibleEnemy.org will host a free screening of the powerful film
Downwind on Saturday May 11 th at 3:00 p.m. at the Center for the Arts at Kayenta, at 881
Coyote Gulch Court in Ivins, UT 84738, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with moderator
Stephanie DeGraw, St George News. Reservations: https://kayentaarts.org/portfolio/downwind/.
Downwind exposes the tragic, ongoing consequences of 982 nuclear detonations that took
place on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) from 1951 to 1992. During this time, the NTS was the
epicenter of U.S. nuclear weapons research and testing.
Each detonation released toxic radiation and materials that contaminated thousands of square
miles of the surrounding environment and endangered millions of people who lived and worked
downwind of the NTS.
Directors Mark Shapiro and Douglas Brian Miller document the catastrophic, often deadly
effects of these tests on generations of Americans, many of whom are still seeking adequate
medical care, reparations and justice from the U.S. government.
The screening will be hosted by TheInvisibleEnemy.org, a non-profit organization representing
military and civilian personnel who were and still are based on the sprawling Nevada Test and
Training Range (NTTR), which includes various classified locations.
Like the “downwinders” featured in the film, many of these personnel and their families were
unknowingly exposed to toxic radiation and chemicals from nuclear testing. Many have suffered
from cancers, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease and other serious health issues.
Many women have experienced miscarriages. Many of their children have been born with birth
defects. Their family members and friends have also been afflicted. And many of these victims
have died from their illnesses.
TheInvisibleEnemy.org is leading the fight to create federal legislation that guarantees
comprehensive medical care and just financial compensation to help these victims cope with
health issues, disabilities, and the loss of loved ones.
“Thousands of downwinders have been struggling with similar issues for more than 70 years,”
said Dave Crete, Air Force Veteran and Chairman of The Invisible Enemy. “And they’ve been all
but ignored by the government that conducted hundreds of nuclear tests and caused all of these
problems in the first place.

2
“Yet there’s no accountability,” he added. “It’s irresponsible and unacceptable.”
Downwind also features the talents of three Hollywood luminaries: Academy Award-winning
actor Michael Douglas, Executive Producer Matthew Modine and narrator, Martin Sheen. Noted
film critic and historian Leonard Maltin wrote, “I urge you to check out Downwind. It’s a
compelling and sobering documentary.”
After the screening, Stephanie DeGraw of the St George News will moderate a discussion of
Downwind with guest panelists Dave Crete, Mark Shapiro, Carmen Valdez, Policy Associate,
HEAL Utah, Cary MacArthur and Delna Gates, as well as Claudia Peterson who shared her
personal story in the film. The audience will be able to join the discussion, ask questions and
learn more about what is being done for those who continue to live downwind.
Admission is FREE, for reservations: https://kayentaarts.org/portfolio/downwind/. The Center for
the Arts at Kayenta is located at 881 Coyote Gulch Court in Ivins, UT 84738. For More
information visit TheInvisibleEnemy.org or call 855-513-6369.

#

About The Invisible Enemy Foundation
Our mission is to enact legislation that guarantees comprehensive medical treatment and just
financial compensation for military personnel and their families who were exposed to
environmental contamination while working at the Nevada Test & Training Range (NTTR).
U.S. Representative Mark Amodei of Nevada is leading an initiative to write new federal
legislation that guarantees medical treatment and financial compensation to all military
personnel who suffered illnesses from exposure to toxic radiation and materials released by
nuclear testing on the NTTR.
Unjustly most of the military personnel who served on the NTTR, and their families, have been
deliberately denied these benefits. And worse, because of the highly sensitive top-secret
classification of their deployments, our government has skirted accountability in claiming that
those personnel “were never there”. The goal of our mission is to right this wrong.
TheInvisibleEnemy.org is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, EIN # 92-3486613.
Donations are 100% tax deductible.